medical
CHRIS
PENNELL
JUGGLES
RUGBY
WITH
DIABETES
For Chris Pennell, beingdiagnosed
withType1diabetes has changed
many things inhis life, however
theversatileWorcesterWarriors
back is determined tonot let it
interferewithhis rugby. He joins
ThePlayers’ Room
to explainhis
own journeywith the condition
andprovide advice for other
playerswhomaybegoing through
the same thing.
Chris can you explainhow andwhen you foundout that youhad Type 1diabetes?
It was during pre-season inmy second year atWorcester and I had the standard pre-season blood test
that all clubs do to check things like your Vitamin B and cholesterol levels, and it basically just came
up on the test.My blood glucosewas abnormally high, so I came in the next day after the doctor
had toldme that theremay be an issue and had a simple finger prick test, and sure enoughmy blood
glucosewasmassively high compared to the normal range.
Whatwas your initial reaction to thediagnosis?
I was confused and immediately started to thinkwhat thismaymean in terms ofmy professional
rugby career. Therefore one of the first things I didwas start to research on the internet and look for
something thatmay provide a basis forme towork around the condition. One of the first links that
I stumbled acrosswas the inspiring story of Steve Redgrave, the five-time BritishOlympic gold
medallist rower whowas diagnosedwith Type 2 diabetes in 1997. His story gaveme a tremendous
amount of confidence and really pushedme to believe thatmy career wasn’t about to come to an
immediate stop.
Whowas thefirst person you sought support and advice from?
I had a really good chat withmy club doctor atWorcester, TerryGasper, who gaveme plenty of advice
and information on the condition. Hewas fantastic inorganising ameetingwithDr IanGallen, a
diabetes expert at the BuckinghamshireHospital. Dr Gallenworked very closelywith Steve Redgrave
when hewas diagnosed and continues to support other athletes diagnosedwith the condition.
Explainhow you juggle your diabeteswithbeing aprofessional rugbyplayer?
To be honest I’ve found it’s something that goes hand in handwithwhat we all should be doing as
professional athletes. Keeping to a gooddiet and staying fit and healthy. It’s all aboutmonitoring
everything you consume and learning how different foods can affect theway you feel and theway
you perform during training andmatches.
What has been themost difficult aspect of it all?
The hardest part is that every now and then the conditionwill just throw you a curve ball and I will
just have a random periodwheremy blood glucose is completely different towhere I want it to be or
where it should be. These things just happen out of the blue and there’s no right or wrong reason as
towhy they pop up.
What pieceof advicewould yougive toother playerswhomay encounter diabetes
throughout their career?
The best piece of advice that I could givewould be tomake sure you’re constantly checking your
blood glucose level. During the early stages I was checkingbetween ten and 12 times a day because
that was the onlyway that I could learn how tomanagemy diabetes and create a database of
knowledge and understanding. It’s also important to keep in contact with your club doctor and keep
them informedwith anything thatmay seem out of the ordinary.
Thebestpiece
ofadvicethat I
couldgivewould
betomakesure
you’reconstantly
checkingyourblood
glucoselevel
Chris is an ambassador for Diabetes UK so
please visit their websitewww.diabetes.org.uk
formore information or follow them on
Twitter@DiabetesUK
CAUSESOF LOWERBACKPAIN
Even though incidents of lumbago and sciatica are recorded as far back
as Hippocrates, for themajority of patients the true cause of lower back
pain remains amystery. Such ambiguity is a direct reflection of the complex
anatomy of the spine, where there aremany pain-producing soft tissues,
including the articular joints, corresponding nerves, ligaments andmuscles.
Despite this complexity, lower back pain can be divided into several
recognized categories:
• Lower BackMuscular Sprain/Strain
• Facet (Zygapophysial) Joint Pain (Dysfunction)
• Spinal Stenosis
• Slipped (Prolapse) Disk
• Sciatica
• Sacroiliac Dysfunction
Backpaincanbecausedby:
Lifting, pushing and pulling incorrectly,
sitting for long periods (e.g. driving), improper sitting (slouching),
repetitivemovements, overuse in sports, bending incorrectly, trauma,
wear and tear of joints (osteoarthritis).
SYMPTOMSANDDIAGNOSIS
Dependingon thecauseandstructure involved, therecanbemany
different symptoms for lowerbackpain:
• Pain and stiffness in the back.
• Referred pain in the buttocks and the legs.
• Pain that worsenswhen bending, stretching, coughing, or sneezing.
• Tingling, weakness or numbness that radiates from the lower back
and into the buttocks and legs – especiallywith activity.
• Activities such aswalking, twisting and bendingmay increase
the pain.
• Other symptoms include a ‘pins and needles’ sensation, or tingling
anddifficultymoving or controlling the leg.
• Typically, symptoms onlymanifest on one side of the body.
Diagnosis
There aremany different conditions that can cause back pain, so a
thoroughmedical history is performed as part of the examination.
Important questions are asked to ascertain the source of the pain,
and then a physical examinationwill be performed.
Medical
Anyonewho’s experienced lower backpainknows toowell thediscomfort, stiffness andutterly frustrating
feelingassociatedwith the injury. However thanks to theRPA’s Business ClubMember, 108Medical Chambers,
we cannowprovide youwith some information tohelpovercome the condition.
108MedicalChambers
adviseson
LowerBackPain
Additionaldiagnostic tests for lowerbackpain include:
• X-ray – Provides information on the bones in the spine; used to
test for spinal instability, tumors and fractures.
• MRI scan –Displays a detailed cross-section of the components of
the spine.
• A newdiagnostic tool that has been added at The London Sports
Injury Clinic is theDorsavi ViMove softwarewhich through the use
of sensors placed on the back allows the clinician to see and
assess in real time. This information is also printed as a report with
recommendations for exercises for rehabilitation and to strengthen
weakened areas. A video of the ViMove assessment can be seen
on our website at this page:
TREATMENTS
Painkillers
Paracetamol is effective in treatingmost cases of back pain. A stronger
painkiller, is also anoption and is sometimes taken in addition to
paracetamol.
Ifmuscle spasms are present, a short
course of amuscle relaxant, such as diazepam,
can be taken. Some people find that non-
sterodial anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS),
such as ibuprofen, aremore effective.
Physical therapies
Physical therapy such as physiotherapy,
osteopathy and chiropractic treatment can
helpwithback pain. These treatments involve
exercises, posture advice, massage and
techniques known as spinal mobilisation and
spinal manipulation.
For anymore information regarding lower backpainplease visit
call 020 7563 1234
36
37
RPA
.co.uk
RPA
.co.uk
